The present invention relates to gift cards and gift card forms and, more particularly, to such a gift card and gift card form and a method of fabricating and using a gift card and a gift card form.
The emergence of the Internet, the popularity of mail order shopping, and e-commerce in general have created a need for personalized gift cards to be included with shipments to identify the senders of gifts to the recipients. Increasingly, people are gift shopping by using e-commerce including purchasing gifts using the Internet and purchasing gifts from catalogs. While this is convenient for the shopper, a problem encountered is that the recipient of a gift shipped directly from a retailer does not know who sent the gift unless there is something in the packaging identifying the gift sender. Current methods of identifying a donor include the use of letters or forms, written notes, written cards, notes on packing slips and loose inserts that are packed with the gift identifying the gift sender. However, these methods may fail to provide adequate identification, fail to bestow the decorativeness generally desired by gift senders, and fail to convey the intentions of the gift sender in sending the gift. The gift recipient may misidentify the gift sender using the current methods, or may fail to understand the reason for the gift. Not infrequently, a loose note or card may be entirely overlooked by the gift recipient.
Another prior art approach has been for the gift sender to mail a gift card separately to the gift recipient, notifying the recipient that a gift is coming. Such a separate card will likely not arrive at the same time the gift arrives, and this can be confusing for the recipient. Thus, there is a need for an improved decorative gift card which can accompany a gift sent directly from a retailer.
This need is met by a gift card form which includes a face ply and a liner ply that is selectively adhered to the face ply. The face ply includes a gift card defined by a die cut. The face ply has an upper surface and a lower surface. The liner ply is selectively adhered to the lower surface of the face ply and is removably adhered to the lower surface of the gift card.
A method of fabricating and using a gift card is disclosed. A gift card form as described above is provided. An upper surface of the face ply is imaged with a second message. The gift card is removed from the gift card form. The gift card is attached to a package.
The present invention provides for a gift card and gift card form that permit uniquely messaging each gift card. A gift card form can be printed at a time after manufacturing to allow a vendor to personalize the gift card. Additionally, order information, such as billing information, can be printed on the gift card form when the gift card is personalized. The gift card form can be kept as a record with the order information after the gift card is removed from the form and applied to the package.